


Options

by mhunter10



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, mhunter10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-02
Updated: 2013-09-02
Packaged: 2017-12-25 10:44:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/952141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mhunter10/pseuds/mhunter10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey's parole officer has a few words of advice for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Options

Mickey hates having to go see his parole officer. The last one he had was okay and never checked up on him, but he got fired and this new one was just unbearable. Tina Lazarro was totally a lez and not even the hot kind, wearing those fucking blazers and loafers all the time. He can’t stand her voice when she’s giving one of her lectures. She thinks she’s tough and getting through to him when she pretends she doesn’t give a fuck if he doesn’t give a fuck, but she just comes off as a bitch. But then again, she was a bitch no matter what. Whenever he has to go in, he finds new ways to mess with her. Every time, she starts spewing some new lesson for him to learn, but he doesn’t listen. He can’t take her or the entire system seriously. It’s not like the system does that for him. Today is different, though. He goes in expecting her usual routine, but ends up leaving with something else.

Mickey makes his way through the main office area, waving and talking to everybody like he owns the place. They all know him here. It’s like he’s famous or something. They know not to give him their pity. He slams open the familiar office door and leans against the frame, impressed with his entrance. Officer Lazarro doesn’t even look up from what she’s working on.

“You’re late, Mickey. That’s another mark. Close the door and sit down.” She eyes him.

Mickey straightens up and mock salutes, then plops down in the chair in front of her desk. “Sir, yes, sir!” He gives her his best smile.

She ignores this and clears her desk, grabbing Mickey’s folder. She opens it and glances at something, then closes it and sets it aside. She sips her coffee, shuffles a few pens and pencils around in a cup, and folds her arms on top of her desk. She looks at Mickey like she’s trying to see something in his eyes. Like she’s finally got something on him that she can understand. Mickey’s eyes shift, wondering if she actually does have something. He thought he’d played those deals pretty safe last week.

“So, what is it going to be today?” He asks, trying to distract her. “Any time you’re ready, you have my permission to start, sir. Oh, sorry, ma’am.”

Tina’s gaze doesn’t let up, and she can see she’s starting to get to the boy across from her. Finally, she takes a breath and opens her mouth. “How long have you been seeing the kid you work with?” She asks.

Mickey freezes. The smug look immediately disappears from his face. He was not expecting that. He tries to play it off, but he knows his body has already betrayed him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He says, keeping his voice steady and forcing himself to look at her. The minute he looks away, she’ll have him.

“Sure you do. The tall redhead with the big arms, in the junior fatigues sometimes. Has that been going on long? What’s his name?” She’s not teasing or upset, just curious. Maybe she’s trying to work an angle, but she’s also a little interested. The boy she’s been charged with hasn’t surprised her until now.

Mickey’s sure she can hear his heart thumping in his chest. He probably looks like a deer in headlights. He has to handle this carefully, or he doesn’t know what he’ll have to do. “I honestly don’t know what the fuck you’re on about.” Fuck, that sounded defensive.

“Language, Mickey.” She says, but just out of habit. She has to approach this another way, or he’ll probably do something. He’s never been violent with her, but this just might push him over. Her gun and tazer are locked in her desk, per protocol, but she doesn’t think she’ll need them. She just has to find the right words to say what she needs to say. The thing that will finally crack the shell of the boy sitting before her; break the criminal down by hitting him where it counts.

“Look, Mickey, I came by the shop to check up on you. I was just doing a routine visit. The door was open but no one was around, so I came to look for you. I walked to the back, and I…saw the two of you…together…,” she sits back in her chair,”…so, do you want to talk about it? Is this something new for you?”

“Nothing to talk about. It’s just sex.” Mickey says, looking away and crossing his arms.

“It didn’t look like just sex to me—”

“I don’t care what you fucking thought it looked like, it’s none of your damn business!” Mickey shouts over her. His fists are clenched and he’s glaring at her, breathing hard. He would so like to reach over the desk and sock her right in the mouth, but he knows another officer will be in there in minutes and he’ll be back in juvie by the end of the day. Actually, he doesn’t want to really hurt her, he just wants to get out of there; run out and never come back. She’s got her hands up not in surrender, but to keep him from exploding any further. She doesn’t look scared. Mickey thinks he sees a flash of pity in her eyes, but maybe it’s just real concern. Either way, she changes quick when she sees that makes him madder.

“Alright. Okay, let’s bring it down. I wasn’t trying to get up in your business, I just wanted to let you know what I saw. It’s my job to keep track of what’s going on with you, and this is me doing that. We’re on the same team here, okay?”

“Bullshit. How long were you perving on us, huh? I thought you only liked women.” Mickey was just grasping at straws now. Anything to get the subject away from him. Of course, his mouth wouldn’t let him stop there. “Why does it matter what Ian and I do? It’s not a big deal. I’m just using him.”

Tina perked up. “Ian? Is that his name? I’m guessing he’s younger than you. He seems like a good kid, though. Different from the chuckleheads you usually hang out with, but you haven’t really been with them a lot anymore. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect this at all.” She stares downward like she’s recalling the event. Mickey looks away, mad he let that slip. His leg is shaking against the desk.

“He’s cute. I’ve seen you guys around the city, too…”

“Whatever.” Mickey rubs a thumb across his lip and looks at the floor.

“I noticed you acting differently. I wondered what would make you change so much in such a short time, and I knew it wasn’t because of me. This explains it, though.” Mickey slowly looks up at her. She continues. “It’s obvious this Ian guy has serious feelings for you. He likes you a lot, and I don’t think I’m wrong in thinking you feel the same. Do you?” She asks, knowing she’s struck a nerve.

Mickey’s leg stops shaking. He’s biting his lip so hard, he tastes blood. He knows she sees the answer all over his face, but he won’t let her have the satisfaction. He won’t let her think she’s broken him, like she’s finally gotten to him and won. He sits up and leans forward, keeping his voice tight and eyes hard. “If you think I’m going to break down and tell you everything, have some fucking gay bonding moment with you, then you’re wrong. You don’t know me, I don’t know you. Let’s keep it that way. Do your job, don’t do your job, I don’t fucking care. It doesn’t help me no matter what you say or do, so you’re wasting your time. Whatever you think you know about me from seeing me take it up the ass from some guy, you don’t. And nobody needs to hear anything about this. Now, can I go?”

“It’s okay, Mickey. I haven’t written anything in your file about it, and I don’t plan on telling anyone. Unless you want me to, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that would do more harm than good. You’ve made your point, and I certainly won’t act like anything has changed between us, as it shouldn’t. I just felt I had a chance to understand you better, in order to help you. If you don’t want to talk right now, that’s fine. I’ll respect that. Even though I know you won’t come to me, just know that you can.” She puts Mickey’s folder away and turns back to him, her hands placed in a steeple in front of her face. She motions towards the door. “I’m finished. You can go.”

Mickey slowly rises from the chair and heads towards the door. Just as he reaches out and grasps the handle, he hears her clear her throat. He doesn’t turn around all the way, just turns his ear towards her.

“Let me say one thing, Mickey. If you don’t take anything else from our time together, maybe you’ll listen to this. Whatever it is you have with this boy, you better not screw it up because he has a lot better options than you.”

Mickey hates having to go see his parole officer. They’ve never worked for him before, but this one is different. Tina Lazarro doesn’t act like she’s superior and knows everything she needs to know about him just by reading a piece of paper. She’s not trying to be his parent or his friend, and doesn’t pity him or send him on a guilt trip. She’s not doing anything for him because she has to, but because she wants to. She could have given up on him a lot of times, but she hasn’t. Today, the visit isn’t what he expects. When she finally has something on him to make him pay attention, he reacts just how she wanted. He didn’t want to hear it, or admit to something that would give her the upper hand. He wanted to bolt out of the room when she hammered the final nail in, but he stood there and let it sink. Instead of giving her a hard time, making a joke and not taking her advice seriously, Mickey actually listens because he knows she’s right.


End file.
